We are about to pull the purse strings soooo tight!

savvykaz

Hi Alice,

I have to say I totally agree with how you've handled DS2 and his mobile - our DD was like that a few years ago and one month her spend was £183 :eek: - we phoned TMobile and they put a cap on her phone so that when she'd reached her allowance she could no longer phone/text; also, I constantly said to her to check her minutes. They have to learn that they can't just go on willy nilly using their phone and then mum/dad will pick up the bill!

I too have decided to put our £54 a month water rates into emergency fund and will do the same with the £102 council tax in Feb and March - will be a nice cushion of £420

brizzledfw

Yes, extra chores sounds good too. It's not just the money after all, it's the responsibility/accountability side of things.

Have a great day. Where has this week gone?? I am blessed if I know!

Brizzle

Alice_in_Poorland

Thank you brizzle, savvykaz and Baileys Babe. OH said that DS2 has been very helpful today and also very being sheepish. I must call 0range to see if we can put a cap on his phone.

We must and we will put the water rates money in the emergency fund.:)

Have been food shopping tonight, called into sburys (without a list for there.......big mistake) and spent £58:eek:, then went to A1di (with a list for there) and spent £21. I must say value for money A1di wins. Anyway will work meal plan around the food we have already got in the house.

Managed to dry 2 loads of washing on the line today (well just about!) and have ironed it already.....get me!!:) Got another 2 loads to go out tomorrow.

Have had a chippie tea tonight, still cost £9 for 5 of us .

I am absolutely shattered tonight. Brizzle you are so right, this week has just flown by, enjoy the weekend.
xx

pennywisepoundstupid

Hi Alice, its good that DS is taking responsibiity for what happened with his phone, My 2 are just still at the age where they don't need one, but I know its not far away and to be honest I'm dreading the whole phone/intenet/facebook/unsuitable sites saga's that I know are going to happen. I'm sure life was much simplier when we where kids?

mummytogirls

Hi Alice,

Did you have half term week off?

Oh dear to the DS phone situation! Were years away from that, so not worried just yet haha!! DD has her own log in to the computer but the parental controls are on max!!

I cant believe youre still getting washing line dry, I gave up weeks ago!! Well done though! Is the heating still off?? xx

Eager_Elephant

Alice_in_Poorland wrote: »

Thanks EE, we are looking for a N1nt3ndo DS, doesn't have to be the lite version or the new 3D one, just a standard one and as long as it is not pink.......there seems to be an abundance of these:rotfl:
xx

!!!!!! - I was hoping it would be a console as we have loads of old unused ones.

We have 3 DS's and unfortunately we still use them all - Sorry

Eager_Elephant

Another one here who has had the mobile saga:eek:

DS has a contract phone in my name - he is 15 though - he gets 200 mins and 3000 texts (this is classed as unlimited) and earlier this year he went over his limit by loads :eek:

It was partly my fault because the first month he went over I did not check the bill as it comes out by DD and only noticed when the DD was taken a few weeks later - by then he was already over his limit after 2 weeks so that was another expensive bill :mad:

Not sure what is so exciting that he needs to tell his friends - some days he was texting until 2am :eek:, a few nights of having to leave his phone out of his room soon stopped that :rotfl:

Also he got a new phone and the wi-fi thing was set up and as he has no internet time he was charged 50p per day :eek:

This has come out of his Xmas money - I gave him a cheque last year which he has not cashed so have written the amounts down on the back so when he wants something I just pay it out of my bank account - great way to spread the cost of xmas :rotfl:

Alice_in_Poorland

Thanks PWPS - I totally agree things were much simpler when we were younger. When I was young (many years ago...LOL) there were no mobiles, no sky TV and the closed thing we had to a games console was pac-man at the youth club....aah those were the days.:)

Hi Mummy, good to hear from you, yeah half term came and went, only managed one day off . We have been putting the heat on but only on low, extra layers all round. Not sure how much longer I'll be pegging out now tho....its freezing out there today.:)

No worries about the game console Eager_Elephant, thank you for asking.
When DS1 had his first mobile although it was just a basic P-A-Y-G with no internet access we made sure he left it on the landing at night so he wasn't tempted.....think his friends parents should of done the same, they always looked shattered in the morning when they called for him to catch the bus to school!!
That's a great idea about the cheque.:)

We're off to a Halloween/Firework party tonight at the football club. I've been to Ic3land this morning and spent £20 most of it on our food contribution for tonight, think I could of thought of cheaper way but we had football this morning and I was just thinking of the convenience....ooops.

OH had to put £30 petrol in my car as DS2s football match was 52miles away this morning. :eek: Hoping what is left will last the rest of the week.

We will need some cash for drinks tonight, thankfully the drinks are quite reasonable at the club.

Hope everybody is keeping warm.xx

pennywisepoundstupid

Have a fantastic evening.

Alice_in_Poorland

We had a really great night (thank you pwps), we did dress up a bit but wish we'd put more effort in, some of the costumes we fantastic (most home made too!!).

We spent just less than £20. We got the kids squash which was 40p for a half pint, other people were buying the fruit sh00t type bottles at £1.45 each:eek: and we won a bottle of wine in the raffle.:j(a Christmas present maybe )

I have done meter readings this morning, we are currently £258.25 in credit. Holding back on putting the heating on has really paid off. It might seem a bit extreme but think I'm going to tape the thermostat at 17-18 degrees.......have I lost the plot??!! :rotfl:

It's pretty fresh out there this morning, don't think it will be worth pegging out, although I might put the towels out to blow for a bit.

Spending diary updated, bus money etc sorted, we've got £1.36 in cash between us, need to pay DS3s swimming lessons on Wednesday, and DS2 has started to play for another football team so need to sort subs out (another £5 per week). Don't think the petrol will last the week either......its going to be a tight one folks.:eek:

xx